Naked Came the Leaf Peeper by Brian Lee Knopp: Book Review

4 Stars. Zany, unpredictable, and hilarious are probably the best words to describe this Western North Carolina tale. Written by 12 local authors, each getting a chapter, this seems to be a competition to see which one can throw the biggest curveball out for the next author to catch. They each did an […]

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Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie: Book Review

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie Book Cover

Minerva Dobbs is a sensible girl. She’s an actuary, the man she’s dating is a sensible choice, and her clothes are sensible and “slimming.” But then there are her shoes. Her shoes hint at the real Min. Her shoes are fun, frivolous concoctions. One night, Min meets Calvin Morrissey in a bar. As she’s heading […]

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Still Alice by Lisa Genova: Book Review

Dr. Alice Howland teaches psychology at Harvard. A brilliant researcher and professor, she has a field-changing body of work behind her and looks forward to many years of pursuing her passion. Then she starts noticing serious lapses in her memory. She finally gets scared when she goes out for a run and gets lost a […]

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When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde: Book Review

When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde Book Cover

Nathan is in the woods early one October morning, heading out with his faithful dog to go duck hunting. Sadie bounds away from him and starts scratching at the leaves on the forest floor. Sadie is a good dog and this is totally unlike her, so Nathan goes to check out what she’s found. It’s […]

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Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese: Book Review

Twins Marion and Shiva Stone are orphaned when their mother, a nun, dies in childbirth and their father denies them. They are blessed to be taken in and raised by an Indian woman who loves them with every fiber of her being. Cutting for Stone primarily follows Marion as he grows up in Ethiopia and […]

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Room by Emma Donoghue: Book Review

Five-year-old Jack has lived his entire life inside Room with his Ma. At night, Old Nick comes to visit while Jack sleeps in Wardrobe. Jack’s life is strictly regimented. Breakfast, Lunch, Phys Ed, TV, and Screaming are at certain times throughout the day. In his world, there’s himself, Ma, and Room and that’s pretty much […]

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Empire Falls by Richard Russo: Book Review

Miles Roby is the manager of The Empire Grill in the heart of Empire Falls, Maine–or what’s left of it, anyway. This once-thriving industrial town is dying now that the factories have all closed. Empire Falls still has a tightly-knit, optimistic community though. There are constantly rumors about new buyers for the factories. Miles feels […]

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Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde: Book Review

Vida is 19 years old and dying. She’s been dying her entire life. Not in the vague way that we are all destined to die, but in a way that has led her through multiple heart surgeries in her short life. This time, it’s for real. Her doctors are talking weeks if she’s lucky. She’s […]

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Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani: Book Review

**Very minor spoilers for Big Stone Gap** Ave Maria has been married for eight years now. She and her husband have a beautiful daughter, but they’ve also had some very difficult times. Now Ave feels that they’re growing apart. Everyday life has gotten in the way of love, and it’s time for both of them […]

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Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani: Book Review

Ave Maria (Please don’t call her Ava) Mulligan has lived all her life in Big Stone Gap in the mountains of Virginia. Yet she’s still seen as a “furriner” by everyone else because her mother was from Italy. Ave is sort of a “pillar of the community”; she’s the town pharmacist, she makes house calls, […]

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